Lucian and I walked in silence for what felt like forever.
The trees around us thickened, the canopy above blotting out the sky and bleeding the early morning light into long fingers of gold and gray. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance, but it all felt faint, like the world had been turned down, muffled by everything neither of us had said.
I shoved my hands deeper into my sleeves. I wasn't cold, not really. But my fingers needed something to do, clench, twitch, curl into fists. Anything to dull the tight, buzzing knot in my chest.
Lucian hadn't said a word since we veered off the main trail. His strides were long and smooth, but he kept his pace slow, like he didn't want to outpace me. Like he was giving me the option to turn back.
I wanted to ask why we were still walking, why we were going so far.
But before I could, he glanced at me and said, "It's because of the Lycan senses. I didn't want anyone overhearing."
I looked down, biting my lip. "Oh."
